VA State Senator Calls Search 'Intimidation' After FBI Raids Her Office

PORTSMOUTH, VA — Virginia state Sen. Louise Lucas said she "is not backing down" after the FBI searched her Portsmouth office and a nearby cannabis business on Wednesday.

Lucas, a Democrat and the president pro tempore of the Virginia State Senate, released a statement after agents searched her office as part of a corruption investigation, according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke with The Associated Press.

To date, Lucas has not been charged with a crime.

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One of the people said the investigation into Lucas was opened during former President Joe Biden’s administration; however, some Democrats viewed it against a backdrop of recent, politically charged inquiries during President Donald Trump’s tenure.

Lucas, who has been a senator for 34 years, was a prominent voice in Virginia's recent redistricting effort, a Democrat-led initiative to counter Republican redrawing pushed by Trump.

in her statement, Lucas said the actions taken by federal agents were about power and "who is allowed to use it on behalf of the American people."

"Just two weeks ago, Virginians sent a powerful message when they voted to stop (President Donald) Trump's scheme to manipulate the 2026 midterm elections," she said. "Voters across this Commonwealth made clear that power belongs with the people, not with politicians who try to take power away from them."

She continued, "I was proud to help lead that effort and I have never been afraid to stand up to Donald Trump or anyone else that has tried to undermine our democracy."

The FBI has only said that it was conducting a court-authorized search in Portsmouth on Wednesday. Such searches require approval from a judge and for investigators to assert that they believe they have identified probable cause of a crime.

Besides the search at Lucas' office, which houses her disabilities services business and is her political base in Portsmouth, agents in FBI T-shirts also went into the nearby cannabis store, which she opened in 2021. Several entrances to the Cannabis Outlet's parking lot were blocked by unmarked vehicles with flashing blue lights, as was an entrance to the politician's office.

By evening, agents were carrying boxes and bags out of the shop's back door.

Lucas, a prominent backer of legalizing marijuana, has said the store sells legal hemp and CBD products. It has drawn scrutiny from local media amid allegations that some products were mislabeled.

Virginia has legalized pot possession, but retail sales of recreational marijuana remain illegal in the state.

tate House Speaker Don Scott said he was deeply concerned by the FBI search.

“Right now, there is far more theatrics and speculation than actual information available to the public,” Scott, a Democrat, said in a statement, adding that more facts were needed “before anyone rushes to political conclusions.”

Gov. Abigail Spanberger declined to comment when contacted by The Associated Press.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.